The present application relates generally to engines, compressors, or pumps and, more particularly, to controlling operating conditions of engines using a compression control port.
Internal combustion engines burn fuel in their combustion chambers in the presence of oxygen (usually from air) to generate high temperature and pressure gases, which expand and apply force against movable engine parts to rotate a shaft. Movement of this shaft produces rotational mechanical energy. Thus, an internal combustion engine converts potential chemical energy in the fuel into kinetic mechanical energy. Therefore, they provide the power for practical mechanical work to move various forms of land, water, and air transportation, run pumps, and drive other equipment.
In at least some known combustion engines, an intake port supplies gas into a chamber, and pressure is generated after the intake port is closed or blocked off by compression created by mechanical movement of internal parts of the engine. In at least some known combustion engines, the final pressure is controlled by minimizing the final compressed volume, maximizing the initial uncompressed volume, and/or maximizing the initial uncompressed pressure. Maximum compressed pressure is fixed in at least some known engines from engine design. Although some new engine concepts vary stroke dynamically, they typically require complex mechanical methods. Further, without significant design modifications, at least some known engines operate on limited types of fuel.